School: University of Phoenix
Class: SCI/241 Nutrition
Instructor: Lindsay Eisenhut
By Ronald Berry Introduction
Obese people have an overall morality rate almost twice that of non - obese people. They are more than three times as likely to develop diabetes. Obesity is associated with unhealthy cholesterol levels and impaired heart function. It is estimated that if all Americans had a healthy body composition, the incidence of coronary heart disease would drop by 25%. Other health risks associated with obesity include hypertension, many kinds of cancer, impaired immune function, gallbladder and kidney diseases, and bone and joint disorders. These risk from obesity increase with its severity, and they are much more likely to occur in people who are more than twice their desirable body weight.
Body Fat
The distribution of body fat is also an important indicator of future health. People who tend to gain weight in the abdominal area have risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke twice as high as those who tend to gain weight hip area. The reason for this increase risk is not entirely clear, but it appears that fat in the abdomen is more easily mobilized and sent into the bloodstream, increasing disease - related blood fat levels.
In addition to risking physical health, obesity can impair psychological health. Being perceived as fat can be the source of ridicule, ostracism, and sometimes discrimination from others; it can